Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-01-30
need mel will come unwhistled for. II
you think of flying, l will not come, even
If you do whistle"
CHAPTER ".


HOW SHE MADE HER FIRST FLIGHT.
Trip watched the mill after this a good
deal; without discussing her plan with
any one, it became matured in her brain.
! Fly she would, and that not metaphorically,
like the Tottenhams, from poverty to
wealth, from a keepers cottage to a kings
palace like the beggar maid-but boldly,
also on the sails of the mill. She was, as
already said, a shrewd girl, and she saw
that she must not allow the miller to sus-
pect she was still set on her plan. Con-
sequently, she observed her opportunity on
the sly.
She saw that the mill was stopped when
Joe went to his dinner, or when he was
adjusting the stones, without the sails
being furled. The drag was put on, and
the wings brought to a stop. Then, when
Joe returned to his work, or when the
stones were ready, the clog was raised, and
the arms began again TO r~evOlve. This
would be her occasion, and for this she
watched and waited.
Her scheme was as follows. She had a
strong skipping rope with white handles,
striped yellow, red and blue. The cord
passed through these baudles, and was
secured by a knot at each end. The cord
was new and good, the handles solid. She
could trust her weight to the cord; it would
not break, however severity tested by her.
For several days Trip waited behind q
thorn hedge in the bean field, inhaling the
ex quisite sweetness of the flowers. | can
never pass a bean field without recalling
the words OF old Isaac: 1.-THE smell ofmy
son is as the smell Of a field that the Lord
had blessed"
The is no sweetness like the fragrance
exhaled by beans-no, not that Of roses,
heliOtropes, orange flowers.
Trip sat behind the hedge. In the shall
low ditch grew abundant mint, in gray
flower, and here and there shot up the pink
spires OF the willow herb. When she
crushed the mint it exhaled scent, but only
near the bruised leaves and stalk, not sut-
ficient to mingle with and overcome the
rich, delicate Odor of the bean.
Trip peercd through the thOrns at the
mill, whose sails were whirling, and the
whirr came to her through the thorRs.
Now she Jaw the miller in his white Jacket
and cap, with his white busted face ut the
door calling to the boy, and the boy
answered, and brought a donkey TO tteio ot
of the mill.
Presently Joe and the man stopped the
mill. 1t was noon. Trip saw Joe stand
on the steps ut the mill door, with his sill
yer watch in his hand, q big watch that
had belonged to his father. Then he sign
ed to his man to follow, and they walked
toward the cottage.
Trips opportunity had come.
The space about the mill was clear. She
left the bean field, entered the gate, and
crossed the magic circle traced by the
wheel of the fan that turns the mill. Then
she cautiously approached the stationary
wings, which were now full tiedged, the
canvas strained over them to the topmOst.
Only q light wind was stirring that day,
and every breath had to be caught and
utilized; not a reef was taken in.
Trip stood behind the sail that rose up
right from the ground, screened by it from
observation by any IL in the road, in the
garden, or cottage. The sail did, not, Of
course, quite reach the surface. She
caught the cross bar and scrambled on to
the wing. 1t had a main beam of great
strength, and two sides; across were the
strips of wood, or splines," that held the
canvas from bullying in, and to which 1t
could be rcefed. The girl climbed to the
second of these ribs and fastened the ends
of her skipping rope to it; she passed the
handles behind the main beam, and drew
them through and firmly knotted them.
Then she stood up, with her feet in the
loop, and jumped and stamped, and the
knots held securely.
"Now," said she, 81 have managed IA
mously. When the sail goes up | shall be
sitting in a swing, with my head up; then
when it goes down | shall descend in the
same way, head up. have ouly to hold
fast by the ropes OF my swing, and mind
not to touch the splineS. Whatever will
Joe Miller say when he sees that my
opinion is better than his? After that,
he'll never dare to call me vulgar IN
Little Tu'penny, indeed?'
If Miss TriptOlema had discovered this
plan unassited, she would have showed
remarkable ingenuity. But she had not
been uuprOmpted. The preceding year
she had attended q fair with her mother,
where she had seen a whirligig in which
those who paid a penny were given 4 revo-
luton in seats that were swung on pivots
to the arms of Il vast wheel planted veTti-
cally. Consequently, Trip was simply APP
plying to the mill sails a principle she had
seen in operation at the fair.
Nevertheless, it is not every one who
can apply a principle. She must not be
denied some credit for what she did.
Having completed her preparations, Trip
sat patiently in her swing waiting till the
miller and his mar returned from their
dinner, nothing doubling that they would
set the mill agOing without observing her.
1t was rs she expected. The man came
first, Joe remaining at the house 10 give
his mother some change to pay a bill to
the carrier for some crates.
The man started the mill without cast
ing q look at the sails. The wind caught,
strained the canvas;" the woodwork cracked,
heaved; and the wings began to move.
Trip thought that the grass, the hedges
were running away under her feet. Her
first sensation was one of alarm, and she
uttered a slight exclamation; but this SEN
satiOn passed rapidly, and was followed
by a great citation of spirits rs the strong
beam carried her up. Her weight was of
! no more account thar that of a fly on a car
riage wheel. She did not feel the breeze,
because she sat inside screened by the can
vas, but a cold rush of air anne down on
her head, caused by the rapid upward
sweep and displacement.
1t would have been pleaSInter if posi-
bic, to have sat outside. She would have
seen more Of the world: the great hulk OF
the mill would not have interviewed be
tween her and the prospect. But that
was not possible. As q babe crows when
swung into the air by the stout arms Of
father or mother, so did Trip eXclaim with
exultation as she was carried alOlt. She
had no fear of the beam giving away-Of
her swing swapping. She saw the swal-
lows dashiug about her, careless of the
sails, twittering and screaming, and quite
| ;nl;,G,ra,,t 20 her nrasapna Sha Saw aWny